The constitutional right of access to social security

The inclusion of the right of access to social security in the Constitution did not meet with wholehearted approval in South Africa. This right, however, is of vital importance for the future upliftment of the country. The present social security system is based upon a clear distinction between social assistance and social insurance. There is a gap in current social security provisions in that the unemployed middle aged individual is not covered. Unemployment itself is one of the greatest challenges obscuring the implementation of a comprehensive social security system. The Constitutional right is to have ‘access’ to social security and the amount of resources at the state’s disposal is directly related to increasing this right, although it is true that a number of available resources are misspent. The state must take reasonable legislative and other measures, within its available resources, to achieve the progressive realisation of the right of access to social security. The principles of solidarity and ubuntu must be cultivated so that national social development becomes a concern for all citizens. There are numerous problems facing South Africans in attaining the goal of access to social security – even if national social development does become a priority. Budgetary constraints, poverty, unemployment, HIV/Aids and foreigners are examples of these. By making social security a priority for everyone, existing ideas (almost all of which have merit) may be converted into long-term solutions for poverty and unemployment. Currently, numerous opportunities to salvage the situation are being overlooked as a result of the lack of a comprehensive and structured plan to better the access to social security. The constitutional right of access to social security is enforceable, although the jurisprudence in this field remains underdeveloped. Conditions are currently favourable, within the country and beyond its borders, for an imaginative and concerted attempt to be made to find potential solutions. It is possible for resources to be increased and for tax benefits to be incorporated for businesses which have the capacity to contribute. The issue of defence spending is controversial, but could hold the key to lowering unemployment. Should jobs be created, it is likely that they will initially be of a temporary nature. Consequently, provisions are needed to ensure some guarantee of income in the lacuna between when a job is lost and another found. Ultimately, one thing is certain: the constitutional right of access to social security will only be complete once the people who are recipients of this right make sacrifices and create corresponding duties for themselves to ensure that the next generation of inhabitants of this country are not facing similar problems. The state’s goal should be to ensure that the basic rights which all people enjoy in terms of the Constitution (in particular the other socio-economic rights) are guaranteed for the duration of their existence, even if the level of benefits received by such people is low